Vlaardingen protestbos must stop landfill

12 December 1992

VLAARDINGEN - Thousands of volunteers have planted this afternoon at Vlaardingen trees illegally in the Lickebaertpolder, in protest against the arrival of a landfill. In the area of 25 football must be the controversial landfill. But the question is whether the 15.000 trees may remain.

The action is also put into place by SP councilor Remi Poppe. Along with a few other activists he was deeply concerned about the arrival of the landfill. On paper, the fact is also possible that there are "polluted and crushed garbage 'could be disposed.

And that is against the sore spot of many Vlaardingers. "It is at a given time once enough", says a resident who put six trees in Vlaardingen clay. "We have many odors in the environment. And with all the industry is pretty dangerous sometimes. "

The protest group "Growing Resistance 'was created after a successful information evening in Vlaardingen. The General Practitioners joined the action. when GPs, pharmacists and florists could boom vouchers "are bought for 5 gulden. It sold thousands of coupons.

And so there was this morning hardly get through to the Maassluis Dijk. Cars were parked here and there and others braved the cold on the bike. A policeman gave out several fines for illegal parking.

From the dike you can see how many hundreds of people around the wasteland teeming, often with a tree in the hand. Even a woman in heels braving the mud.

"The landfill is still needed for nothing", says a man who splatters by the dredger with three trees. One of the trees is for him and he also took two of the neighbor. "Of course, the debris has to go somewhere", he adds. "But Vlaardingen is so heavily burdened with the environment. Let them find another place. All the debris in one basket is not fair ".

Lottie

The first tree was planted by this afternoon Lottie Aalbrecht, on her first birthday. She lives on the Platanenlaan in Vlaardingen and if - how typical - a plane tree planting.

Held by her mother, the young lady gooite little uncomfortable some dirt and threw it at the tree. After that, they unveiled a plaque.

And so after Lottie followed thousands (estimated 8.000) others surely 15.000 trees planted.

"I am particularly proud come so many people", says one of the organizers. "That these people rebel against a piece of injustice. I can cry, I'm so proud. "

Lottie (1 jaar) has just planted the first tree in Vlaardingen Volksbos – Foto: Stadsarchief Vlaardingen

Zinloos

One of the people who is watching from the dike is an official of the Recreatieschap Middle Delfland. That organization owns the land, where the trees are planted illegally.

"There were a lot of people", told officials at Radio Rijnmond. "But I had those trees have preferred a different place in Middle-Delfland, where they could have come to fruition ".

The area was already designated in the 70s as a place where a rubbish dump to come. Despite the recreation area signed a contract about the Provincial Waste Management Company (Proav).

The intention is that the debris is deposited and it is then covered. This creates a mountain 35 meter, and which constitutes the central point in a recreational.

"And if the politics in its decision remains that the false hope that these trees remain", gaat de woordvoerder verder. "If the dump start the trees have gone".

Three million guilders

There's more, the trees are now put in 'clean soil'. The upper layer is taken from the Krabbeplas. This land must, if the landfill is over, Cover the rubble. "This land has a value of three million guilders", The official further explains.

"The rubble landfill could not go yet, we still want to sell the land to use it somewhere else. And then those trees must go. The value of the trees certainly get three million guilders not, which the land is worth. "

Hoe ging het verder?

The action impresses. The plans are put on hold for the debris landfill and 2003 it is decided that the protestbos was legalized. The forest is even extended.

Four years ago (2013) a second Volksbos was planted, as a protest against the arrival of the Blankenburg Tunnel. That forest (1700 bomen) is removed, for archaeological research. Rijkswaterstaat does have promised that in another place 250 trees planted will be back.